2011 Tour de Suisse, Stage 7: Vaduz (FL) - Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, 222.8 km

[jobiwan]

It's been a tough Tour de Suisse so far, and why stop now?

One more climbing day, and it's a long one.
223 kms in the saddle with much of that uphill!
The riders will have to negotiate the giant Flüelappass in the middle of the stage, before they hit the last major climb of the Tour.

The finishing climb to Serfaus in Austria, where Michael Albasini beat the Canc in 2009.
This year, Damiano Cunego comes in as the leader, but can he get the time he needs for the final day's TT?

Top 15 GC:

1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 21:26:28
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:23
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:36
4 Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:41
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:01:59
6 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:24
7 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:02:45
8 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:10
9 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:03:11
10 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:03:22
11 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team 0:04:00
12 Tom Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:04:51
13 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek 0:05:15
14 Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:06:32
15 Johann Tschopp (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:07:13

Map:

Profile:

Flüelappass Climb:

Final Climb (before a small flat section):

 

[taiwan]

Looks like one for Cunego. He might end up riding more defensively, though. If all the Rabos are feeling good, they could work him over, as Kruiswijk suggested. I doubt more than one of them has the legs to do it, though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

223km, the longer the better for Stevo...

Anyway, hope Rabobank delivers some fireworks this time and not wait. If they go for places on the podium I'm going to be mad

 

[Captain_Cavman]

223km, the longer the better for Stevo...

Anyway, hope Rabobank delivers some fireworks this time and not wait. If they go for places on the podium I'm going to be mad

Aye. It reminds me of PN where Radioshack had 3 in the top ten but settled for their second place. Hopefully Rabobank will be a lot more adventurous.

Two leopards up there too. It will be interesting to see who will work with who.

 

[Havetts]

Not gonna happen much, atleast in terms of time difference. Hope Rabo is going to do something, Robert Gesink will cheer for them on the Fluelapass.\

@RGUpdate Robert Gesink

Genoten v.d. schitterende aankomst in de #TourdeSuisse ! Dat heeft die rooie uit Nuenen mooi gedaan! Morgen supporteren op de Fluelapas!

 

[killswitch]

Looks like there is some flat after the final climb?

@RGUpdate Robert Gesink

Genoten v.d. schitterende aankomst in de #TourdeSuisse ! Dat heeft die rooie uit Nuenen mooi gedaan! Morgen supporteren op de Fluelapas!

Ginger from Nuenen.

 

[Frosty]

Lampre havent looked too hot in this. Maybe Rabobank will try to drop all Cunego's team-mates on the HC climb and then try to attack him after that. As noted above, Leopard could be up for this too.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

is that really the final climb?

It looks pretty good if so.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Looks like there is some flat after the final climb?


Ginger from Nuenen.

It looks like they are going to climb up to Fiss, the climb shown in OP, and then do about 4-5 kilometers around the side of mountain to Serfaus which will be hardly uphill at all. As the comment on climbbybike says you can continue up above Fiss to above 2400 meters which would be an extremely tough climb. It might not be practical to finish the stage at the top but they could have finished in Fiss so there was no flat at the end.

Edit: The climb from Fiss to the top above Fiss

 

[Ferminal]

So, are Leopard going to waste their depth on a failed leader, or will they be able to attack?

(I guess he's still in a reasonable GC position...)

 

[seaby71]

how much time do you think cunego needs on the final tt. who is his biggest threat from here?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

based on the profile from the website the final climb looks about 10km@5%

edit; could be less, maybe 8km@6%?

 

[Swede1]

Does anyone know if Kruijswijk is going to ride the tour? Or now focus on the Vuelta?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Does anyone know if Kruijswijk is going to ride the tour? Or now focus on the Vuelta?

no tour.

vuelta not decided.

 

[dlwssonic]

mathias frank for the win!!!

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

mathias frank for the win!!!

I don't think so.
Someone with a decent accelration will win.
Cunego maybe.

If not a break.

 

[dlwssonic]

I don't think so.
Someone with a decent accelration will win.
Cunego maybe.

If not a break.

yea i know but he looked very strong yesterday and had the fastest time up the climb i think. maybe they would allow him to get away since he is not such a threat to the gc.

 

[Swede1]

I don't think so.
Someone with a decent accelration will win.
Cunego maybe.

If not a break.

Maybe TVG now that we found out he can sprint. 4th in the stage 5 sprint.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

a lot of it could depend how hard they hit the earlier climb. WHich is pretty hard.

If ridden in a paricular we could see an absoloute epic stage.

 

[just some guy]

Cunego has 5 guys left and one a sprinter. If lepo want this then Cunego may be alone very early

My prediction Lepo dont want it - the tour the tour the tour the tour the tour the tour the tour

Say it with me the tour.

Anyway hope Im wrong

 

[auscyclefan94]

BAMF (Bad *** Matthias Frank) ftw!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

how much time do you think cunego needs on the final tt. who is his biggest threat from here?

Levi is the threat - over 32km tomorrow Cunego could easily lose 2 mins to him. Cunego need to attack in order to defend - he need another minute on LL
(aka Bottle)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Today's stage goes through 3 countries. Starts in Liechtenstein then Switzerland and finishes in Austria!

 

[wirral]

I hope the other teams do a deal to isolate Leipheimer/Radio Shack

 

[just some guy]

Thinking a little more

You would think that BMC and Rabo ie teams in the top 10 would want a high pace on the 1st Mtn- not just for this race but to also put the Lepo not Andy as he will ride slow of course , Levi, Cunego etc in the red.

They may blow and lose places but may help their Captains in the Tour. If Lepo and Cunego, Levi work hard all day it may effect recovery and the tour.

again just an idea.